Large capacity bucket with high-dumping capability

ABSTRACT

A bucket structure for a tractor loader providing the loader with increased dumping height and reach without change of standard loader lift arms and attitude control linkage. The bucket structure utilizes a cradle support and bucket pivoted thereto close to the bucket cutting lip also permitting utilization of a larger capacity bucket of the order of 50-60% increase over standard capacity without requiring changes in the tractor loader.

United States Patent [191 Grooss et a1.

[ Oct. 21, 1975 LARGE CAPACITY BUCKET WITH HIGH-DUMPING CAPABILITY Inventors: Frank August Grooss, Morton, 111.;

Rudolf Wagner, Surrey, Canada Assignee: Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, 111.

Filed: Mar. 20, 1974 Appl. No.: 453,183

US. Cl. 214/774; 37/134; 214/146 Int. Cl. E021? 3/28 Field of Search 214/774, 775, 144, 145,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 5/1924 Pearson 214/145 5/1958 Wagner 4/1961 Bernotas 214/774 X 3,794,191 2/1974 Kuhn 214/774 3,845,870 11/1974 Balderson et al. 214/145 Primary ExaminerLeo Friaglia Assistant ExaminerMichael J. Forman Attorney, Agent, or FirmRalph E. Walters [57] ABSTRACT A bucket structure for a tractor loader providing the loader with increased dumping height and reach without change of standard loader lift arms and attitude control linkage. The bucket structure utilizes a cradle support and bucket pivoted thereto close to the bucket cutting lip also permitting utilization of a larger capacity bucket of the order of 50-60% increase over standard capacity without requiring changes in the tractor loader.

9 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures Foster 2 14/ 145 U.S. Patent Oct.21,1975 Sheet1of3 3,913,768

US. Patent Oct. 21, 1975 Sheet 2 of3 3 913 768 US. Patent 0a. 21, 1975 Sheet 3 of3 3,913,768

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LARGE CAPACITY BUCKET WITH HIGH-DUMPING CAPABILITY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Tractor loaders have usually been equipped with lift arms and control linkage powered by hydraulic cylinders to maneuver the bucket pivoted to the end of the arms, designed for a particular capacity of digging bucket which is the standard for a given tractor loader. The balance of the tractor, the amount of load that is handled in the bucket and the power needed to dig and load the bucket, lift its contents and dump it in desired locations are all interrelated items of design for a particular tractor loader. It has been difficult to obtain sufficient dumping height and reach for tractor loaders without materially modifying the linkage employed and the lift arms to increase a loaders capability. Increasing reach with longer arms materially increases requirements other than in the linkage itself. There is a further problem in providing a larger capacity bucket which is useable when the tractor loader is handling loose material, such as coal, sawdust, loose sand and the like, because such material being lighter in weight, can be handled by a given tractor loader without requiring material changes in the tractor loader itself. Just putting a larger capacity bucket on standard loader lift arms and control linkage materially reduces the-dumping height by reason that the larger bucket has a longer bucket which extends further below the end of the lift arm during the dumping cycle. There is also the requirement, in many instances, that the owner of a particular tractor loader may wish to convert from a standard digging bucket size to a larger capacity bucket for handling loose material and then back to the standard bucket for regular use of the tractor loader. Such conversion should be capable of being handled in the field, and obviously should require no modification of the loader lift arms or control linkages.

Some attemps have been made in the art to place a frame intermediate the bucket and the lift arms with gravity dumping of the bucket, but have the disadvantage of decreasing the height at which dumping can occur. Examples are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,426,544, 2,835,397 and 3,368,680. Where added hydraulic piston and cylinder devices have been utilized to turn a bucket relative to an intermediate frame, there has been a complicated control linkage because of the difficulty of obtaining a sufficient mechanical advantage. Examples of these efforts are shown in US. Pat. Nos. 2,773,613, 2,773,713, 3,187,912 and 3,529,740. Some mechanical dumping of a bucket which can occur only in the uppermost position of the lift arms on a tractor loader have also been attempted in US. Pat. No. 3,148,792 and British Pat. No. 1243931 (1971).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The principal object of this invention is to provide a bucket structure for a tractor loader which can provide, without change of the tractor loaders lift arms or attitude control linkage, an increased dumping height and reach compared with that of the standard bucket for such a loader.

Another object is to provide a bucket structure for standard tractor loader lift arms and control linkage which has an increased capacity of the order to 50-60% over standard size buckets while maintaining both dumping height and reach.

Another object is to provide a large capacity bucket structure which may be field attached to a standard tractor loader lift arms and control linkage assembly, permitting the owner of such loader to convert his machinery from standard digging bucket size to an oversize bucket and back again.

A further object is to provide a particular bucket structure for a tractor loader which incorporates a support cradle with its own power for dumping the bucket contents relative to the cradle and in which the bucket and cradle are so related that the dumping of the bucket occurs substantially about the digging lip of the bucket.

A further object is to provide a bucket structure as specified in the preceding paragraph, incorporating rigid. mating structure between the bucket and its cradle during the position of the bucket employed for loading material so as to absorb the stresses that may be applied to the bucket during such operation.

A still further object is to provide a large capacity, extremely strong, bucket for tractor loaders which is so constructed as to not materially reduce loading time by obstruction of material entering into the bucket during loading operations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a broken side elevational view of the front end of a tractor loader, showing the bucket structure of i this invention in digging position and in dumping position, in phantom line;

FIG. 2 is arear elevational view of the bucket structure of this invention, removed from the tractor loader;

FIG. 3 is an upright sectional view through the bucket structure, taken substantially along line IIIIII in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a broken horizontal sectional view through the bucket structure, taken substantially along in IVIV in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a broken upright sectional view, taken substantially along line VV in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a broken sectionl view, taken substantially along line VIVI in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present bucket structure invention is shown, in example, for attachment to a large wheeled tractor loader ordinarily equipped with a standard digging bucket of about 10 cubic yd. capacity. The drawings illustrate a much larger bucket of the order of 15 to 20 cubic yd. capacity which might be utilized for loading coal, which would weigh in the order of 1500 pounds per cubic yd. so that the bucket would be lifting approximately 12 to 14 tons of material. The bucket could be used for other low density granular material, such as loose sand, which would weigh close to 2700 pounds per cubic yd., making the load handled somewhat closer to 19 to 20 tons.

In the drawings, a bucket assembly 10 is shown as pivoted to a pair of standard lift arms 12 at pivot pins 13. The lift arm is part of a conventional wheeled tractor loader 14, the arms being elevated and lowered by power (not illustrated), forming a part of the tractor. The attitude of the bucket structure relative to the ground is controlled by means of a tilting linkage generally indicated 16, including a pair of hydraulic jacks l8, levers 20 and links 22 extended from the levers 20 to pivotal connection to the bucket assembly at pivot pins 24. In the present invention, the location of the pivot pins 13 at the ends of the arms 12 and the pivot pins 24 at the ends of the links 22 are those used with a standard bucket attached to the arms and linkage assembly of the tractor loader.

The bucket assembly has three main components, including the bucket 26, a bucket support cradle 28 and a dumping cylinder 30 connected operatively between the cradle and the bucket. The connection between the cradle 28 and the bucket is by pivot pins 32 immediately rearward of the cutting lip 56 on the bucket. Another connectionis between the piston rod 31 of the dumping cylinder 30 and a pivot pin 36 connecting the rod operatively to a bracket upon the upper portion of the bucket. The cylinder 30 is mounted to the cradle 28 by a trunnion mounting 34.

The bucket support cradle is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 to 4. The cradle has a pair of L-shaped members 38 connected together by a bracket or bridging 40 to form a unitary rigid cradle support for the bucket. Each L shaped member has a pair of spaced brackets 42 and 44 shaped so as to have an upward extending leg 46 and a forward extending leg 48,'shown as horizontally extending in FIG. 1. The brackets 42 and 44 are braced by plates welded between them, such as the plates43, and 47, best seen in FIG. 3. A pair of 66 spanning the upright walls and forming the covering for the tunnels. As may be noted in FIGS. 3 and 5, the plate 66 is tapered at the front down to the cutting lip 56 so as to cause the least possible obstruction to the entrance of material into the bucket. The plate 66 over the top of the tunnel joins the back wall of the bucket at the point 65 (FIG. 3). Two wells or recesses are provided, one over each of the L-shaped legs of the cradle, so that when the bucket is swung into the, cradle, the

legs of the cradle are within the side profile configura- 7 tion of the bucket, as illustrated in FIG. 3

The dumping cylinder operates in the center of the cradle, and is .trunnioned to extend through a tunnel 70 formed in the bridging between the brackets forming FIG. 1, some clearance must be provided between the I dumping cylinder and the bucket 26 in the dumping configuration, so that in the center of the bucket, the

' rear wall'is depressed from its general configuration by I the inclusion of the plate 77 withupright walls extend.-

bushings 50 are mounted in the brackets 42 and 44 of the L-shaped legs to receive the pin 13 by which the brackets are intended to be attached to the end of the lift arms. Similarly, bushings 52, above the bushings 50, are provided on the legs to receive the pin 24 by which the attitude control linkage, by means of the link 22, will be pivotally connect to the bucket structure.

The leg 48, which extends forwardly to the pivotpin 32 to which the bucket is pivotally attached, is constructed with a solid metal piece 68 which contains the bushing for the pin 32 so that a bushing 67 welded into a plate 62 on the bucket may receive one end of the pin 32 and a similar bushing 69 may be welded into the plate 64 on the bucket to receive the other end of the pin 32. The side plates of the brackets 42 and 44 are tapered toward each other about the solid metal piece 68 to narrow the outer end of the forwardly extending legs 48 to narrow such legs at their point of connection to the bucket immediately behind the cutting lip 56. It should be understood that the cradle arms and the bridging between them makes the entire support structure for the bucket extremely rigid against all of the force that would be applied to the bucket during loading, carrying and dumping of the material.

The bucket itself is formed with a pair of end walls 54 between which the cutting lip 56 extends together with a bottom wall plate which extends rearward from the cutting lip about the heel 60 of the bucket and upwardly to an upper bucket edge '57. Skid plates 59 extend over the bottom of the bucket rearwardly of the cutting edge. Reinforcing angles 61 and 63 are attached to the bucket adjacent the upper edge 57, reinforcing the upper edge to which the force of the dumping cylinder 30 would be applied through the pin 36 and associated brackets.

The bottom and rear walls of the bucket are provided with recesses or tunneHike sections 58 which receive the legs of the cradle support. The tunnels are formed of plates, such as 62 and 64, on either side, upright to the bottom wall 55 of the bucket and are tapered at the from over the cutting edge 56 with a horizontal plate ing between the plate 77 at its peripheral edges to the back wall 55 of the bucket. The depression in the center of the bucket thus provides the necessary clearance for dumping.

Provision is made for locking the bucket to the cradle when it is in the position shown in full lines in FIG. 1.

A number of locking wedge structures 78 are provided,

here shown as six in number, one on each horizontal leg rearwardly of the pivot pins 32, connecting the bucket to the cradle, and four on the upright legs operative between the bucket and the cradle. As best observed in FIGS. 3 and 4, the locking wedges 78, closest to the pivot pins 32, comprise a pair of wedge blocks 80 secured to the plate 62, which engage block, 82 welded to the horizontal arm in position to receive, in a wedging fashion, the blocks 80 when the bucket is swung into the cradle. Similarly, the locking wedges 78 on the upright armshave a pair of blocks 81 attached to the I wall of the recess in bucket to cooperatively and wedgvate the cutting lip 56 and retain the material inthe bucket. The bucket turns relative to the lift'arms 12. about the pivot pins 13 during this operation. The lift arms may carry the bucket and its load above the ground line to an upper position, such asthat illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 1. Operation of the attitude: control cylinders and linkages can move the support cradle substantially to the position illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 1. Thereafter the dumping cylinder 30 may be actuated to swing the bucket about the pivot pin 32 to the dumping position illustrated in dotted outlines. Tractor loaders are generally provided with an auxiliary control valve such that it may be connected to the dumping cylinder 30 provided upon this bucket structure. An owner of a tractor loader, such as illustrated and described, may remove the standard bucket by pullingthe pins 13 and 24 and substituting the large capacity bucket illustrated herein. Both pivot pin locations of the pins 13 and 24 are the same for a standard bucket and for the bucket herein described so that field substitution of one for the other bucket structure is both convenient and possible.

The large capacity bucket is extremely strong by virtue of the upright plates 62 and 64 and the covering plates 66 thereover, forming the tunnels in the bucket bottom 55 over the L-shaped arms of the cradle support. No other reinforcement of the bucket is necessary due to the strength imparted to the bucket by the tunnels. Adequate strength to absorb the force of the dumping cylinder 30 is provided by thereinforcing 61 and 63 immediately rearward of the upper edge 57 of the bucket.

We claim:

1. A large capacity bucket structure for attachment to standard tractor loader lift arms and attitude control linkage while maintaining substantially standard dumping reach and height, comprising;

a bucket support cradle having a pair of generally L- shaped upright arms and rigid bridging connecting upper arm portions with lower arm portions cantilevered forwardly,

a large capacity open-mouth bucket having a cutting lip and pivot means immediately behind the lip, said lower arms having means to pivotally connect the bucket to the arms at said pivot means,

a dumping cylinder motor trunnioned in said bridging and operatively pivoted to the upper portion of the bucket for rotating the bucket about said pivot means and out of the cradle for material dumping,

said cradle arms having conventionally spaced pivot connections for attachment of the loader lift arms and attitude control linkage thereto providing for motion of the cradle and bucket as a unit by the tractor loader.

2. A bucket structure as specified in claim 1 wherein each arm carries a plurality of locking wedge means with mating wedge means carried on the bucket, said wedge means being engageable when the bucket is moved into the cradle, locking the cradle and bucket relative to each other.

3. A bucket structure as specified in claim 1 wherein the cradle arms are receivable within the side-profile of the bucket and the bucket has a framed tunnel rearwardly of the cutting lip and over each arm when the bucket is moved into engagement with the cradle.

4. A bucket structure as specified in claim 3 wherein the framed tunnel has a narrow portion at the bucket lip tapering in width and height rearwardly of the lip to enclose each cradle arm and reduce restriction to flow of material over the lip into the bucket.

5. A bucket structure as specified in claim 1 wherein the bucket has sidewalls and a rear wall extending rearwardly from the cutting lip through a heel portion and upwardly to an upper edge with the open mouth between the lip and upper edge, and a pair of frame tunnels, one over each arm, projecting inwardly. of the bucket form the rear wall, said tunnels providing structural strength for the bucket rear wall without further reinforcing.

6. A large capacity bucket structure for attachment to standard tractor loader lift arms and attitude control linkage while maintaining substantially standard dumping reach and height, comprising:

a bucket support cradle having a pair of upright, spaced generally L-shaped arms and rigid bridging connecting the upper arm ends, the arms carrying a pair of lower pivot means near the juncture of the arms for receiving loader lift arm connection, and thereabove, a pair of upper pivot means for receiving attitude control linkage connection,

a large capacity open-mouth bucket having a forward cutting lip and associated plate structure forming a material receiving bucket,

pivot means on the bucket closely adjacent the cutting lip pivotally connecting the bucket to forward extending portions of the cradle arms,

framed tunnel means in the bucket receiving the cradle arms within the bucket side profile when the bucket is pivoted into the cradle,

and a dumping cylinder motor trunnioned in the cradle bridging and pivoted to the upper portion of the bucket for controlled pivoting of the bucket about its pivot connections to the cradle arms for material dumping.

7. A bucket structure as specified in claim 6 wherein mating engageable locking blocks are positioned on the bucket and at spaced positions on each of the cradle arms for locking the bucket to the cradle against movement about its pivot connections to the cradle when the bucket is moved into the cradle for material loading.

8. A bucket structure as specified in claim 7 wherein a pair of locking blocks are located on each the for-' wardly extending cradle arms rearwardly of the bucket cutting lip and other locking blocks are provided between each of the upwardly extending arms of the cradle and the framed tunnel means in the bucket providing a plurality of spaced points of positive engagement between the bucket and cradle support.

9. A bucket structure for attachment to standard tractor loader lift arms and attitude control linkage, comprising:

a bucket support cradle having a pair of generally L- shaped upright arms and rigid bridging connecting upper arm portions with lower arm portions cantilevered forwardly,

an open-mouth bucket having a cutting lip and pivot means immediately behind the lip, said lower arms having means to pivotallyconnect the bucket to the arms at said pivot means,

a dumping cylinder motor trunnioned in said bridging and operatively pivoted to the upper portion of the bucket for rotating the bucket about said pivot means and out of the cradle for material dumping,

said cradle arms having conventionally spaced pivot connections for attachment of the loader lift arms and attitude control linkage thereto providing for motion of the cradle and bucket as a unit by the tractor loader, said bucket structure providing the tractor loader with increased dumping height and increased reach relative to standard bucket configurations.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION PATENT N0. 3,913,768

DATED Oct. 21, 197 5 INVENTOR(S) Frank August Grooss and Rudolf Wagner It is certified that error appears in the aboveidntified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below: O

In the specification:

Col. 1, line 39, "attemps" should be attempts-;

9 Col. 1, line 44, "3,368,680" should be Col. 1, line 50, "2,773,713" should be deleted.

Q In the claims:

Claim 5, line 61, "form" should be --from--.

' d l d h Signed an Sea a t 15 second Day of March 1976 [SEAL] Attest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arresting Offiter Commissioner oflalenls and Trademarks 

1. A large capacity bucket structure for attachment to standard tractor loader lift arms and attitude control linkage while maintaining substantially standard dumping reach and height, comprising: a bucket support cradle having a pair of generally L-shaped upright arms and rigid bridging connecting upper arm portions with lowEr arm portions cantilevered forwardly, a large capacity open-mouth bucket having a cutting lip and pivot means immediately behind the lip, said lower arms having means to pivotally connect the bucket to the arms at said pivot means, a dumping cylinder motor trunnioned in said bridging and operatively pivoted to the upper portion of the bucket for rotating the bucket about said pivot means and out of the cradle for material dumping, said cradle arms having conventionally spaced pivot connections for attachment of the loader lift arms and attitude control linkage thereto providing for motion of the cradle and bucket as a unit by the tractor loader.
 2. A bucket structure as specified in claim 1 wherein each arm carries a plurality of locking wedge means with mating wedge means carried on the bucket, said wedge means being engageable when the bucket is moved into the cradle, locking the cradle and bucket relative to each other.
 3. A bucket structure as specified in claim 1 wherein the cradle arms are receivable within the side-profile of the bucket and the bucket has a framed tunnel rearwardly of the cutting lip and over each arm when the bucket is moved into engagement with the cradle.
 4. A bucket structure as specified in claim 3 wherein the framed tunnel has a narrow portion at the bucket lip tapering in width and height rearwardly of the lip to enclose each cradle arm and reduce restriction to flow of material over the lip into the bucket.
 5. A bucket structure as specified in claim 1 wherein the bucket has sidewalls and a rear wall extending rearwardly from the cutting lip through a heel portion and upwardly to an upper edge with the open mouth between the lip and upper edge, and a pair of frame tunnels, one over each arm, projecting inwardly of the bucket form the rear wall, said tunnels providing structural strength for the bucket rear wall without further reinforcing.
 6. A large capacity bucket structure for attachment to standard tractor loader lift arms and attitude control linkage while maintaining substantially standard dumping reach and height, comprising: a bucket support cradle having a pair of upright, spaced generally L-shaped arms and rigid bridging connecting the upper arm ends, the arms carrying a pair of lower pivot means near the juncture of the arms for receiving loader lift arm connection, and thereabove, a pair of upper pivot means for receiving attitude control linkage connection, a large capacity open-mouth bucket having a forward cutting lip and associated plate structure forming a material receiving bucket, pivot means on the bucket closely adjacent the cutting lip pivotally connecting the bucket to forward extending portions of the cradle arms, framed tunnel means in the bucket receiving the cradle arms within the bucket side profile when the bucket is pivoted into the cradle, and a dumping cylinder motor trunnioned in the cradle bridging and pivoted to the upper portion of the bucket for controlled pivoting of the bucket about its pivot connections to the cradle arms for material dumping.
 7. A bucket structure as specified in claim 6 wherein mating engageable locking blocks are positioned on the bucket and at spaced positions on each of the cradle arms for locking the bucket to the cradle against movement about its pivot connections to the cradle when the bucket is moved into the cradle for material loading.
 8. A bucket structure as specified in claim 7 wherein a pair of locking blocks are located on each the forwardly extending cradle arms rearwardly of the bucket cutting lip and other locking blocks are provided between each of the upwardly extending arms of the cradle and the framed tunnel means in the bucket providing a plurality of spaced points of positive engagement between the bucket and cradle support.
 9. A bucket structure for attachment to standard tractor loader lift arms and attitude control linkage, comprising: a bucket support cradle having a pair of generAlly L-shaped upright arms and rigid bridging connecting upper arm portions with lower arm portions cantilevered forwardly, an open-mouth bucket having a cutting lip and pivot means immediately behind the lip, said lower arms having means to pivotally connect the bucket to the arms at said pivot means, a dumping cylinder motor trunnioned in said bridging and operatively pivoted to the upper portion of the bucket for rotating the bucket about said pivot means and out of the cradle for material dumping, said cradle arms having conventionally spaced pivot connections for attachment of the loader lift arms and attitude control linkage thereto providing for motion of the cradle and bucket as a unit by the tractor loader, said bucket structure providing the tractor loader with increased dumping height and increased reach relative to standard bucket configurations. 